Before She Passes
by LifeisPinkisLife
Summary: Aria is battling Leukaemia and everyone knows except Ezra. What happens when things start to deteriorate for Aria? Can she bring herself to tell Ezra? READ READ READ! I SUCK AT SUMMARIES!
1. Chapter 1

**Before She Passes**

**By: LifeispinkisLife**

_Hey guys! I came up with a new idea for a story which I hope you'll all love! Let me know what you think of the first chapter. And please, Review! I'll do an A/N after this chapter. Xo_

**CHAPTER 1**

The course of true love never did run smooth, and for Aria and Ezra, this was most definitely the case. Aria and Ezra had conveniently but inconveniently met almost a year and a half ago, and it was an understatement to say that their first encounter was one that would change their lives forever.

Aria had just returned from Iceland, and coming back to the town which haunted her with so many vivid memories was something which she was not too keen on. She had enjoyed her time in Iceland. She enjoyed pretending that she could visit a glacier whenever she wanted, she enjoyed watching her breath become visible in the cold air every time she spoke, and most importantly, she enjoyed being away from Rosewood.

Aria's parents had decided that a year abroad was something which could benefit Aria and Mike, but especially Aria. She had been distraught after the disappearance of Alison, one of her best friends, and after months of not being able to locate Alison, or after many months of fading hope, her body, the Montgomery family chose to reside in Reykjavik for a year. Although Aria never desired to leave Rosewood, the twelve months did Aria good. She finally lost the tiny bit of immaturity that was left inside her and got rid of her pink streaks in her hair, and now Aria was as mature as any grown woman today.

All was going well in Reykjavik until about five months into the family's year out. Aria, who had just turned 17, developed a sudden tendency to bruise very easily, and after two weeks of constant worry and fret, the worst was revealed. Aria was diagnosed with Leukaemia on the 24th of February 2010. She began chemotherapy straight away, and luckily, thing started to look up. Although she lost all her hair and had to wear a wig, she was making good progress with her treatment, and her doctors in Iceland gave her the all clear to return to Rosewood in August 2010.

That's when she met Ezra. She had driven Mike to Lacrosse training on the day they got back to Rosewood, and instead of going home, she went to a college bar near Hollis to get a bite to eat. Ezra Fitz had contently flirted with Aria in the college bar, telling her of his aspirations to be, one day, a famous author. He had told her that he was starting his first teaching job the next day, and even though Aria already knew that he was probably much too old for her, she didn't care. They ended the night in a bathroom, which was to be one of their fondest memories as a couple.

Aria had always believed in love at first sight. When she saw Ezra Fitz for the first time, sitting alone in the dull tavern, she ignored the fact that a young man like himself should be out in a club with his friends. She never thought of him as a 'weirdo'. She always took in the good aspects of this man.

She first noticed his pearly whites. How his teeth were so perfect, she would never know. His crystal clear blues met her muddy browns after that, and they held the gaze for longer than anticipated. Next he spoke, revealing his deep, sexy tone. She knew he was someone special, and when he had indicated his age, she couldn't care less. She knew she may only have one shot at true love.

Things began to get bumpy after their first meeting. Ezra wound up being Aria's AP English teacher, and as much as he wanted to end what they had, he couldn't bring himself to do so. The connection he felt with Aria was to be compared to the force between two magnets. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay away from her. And neither could she. She knew her parents would never approve of this deemed inappropriate relationship, but once again, she didn't care.

Now, as Aria was just about to start senior year, the only person she hadn't told about her Leukaemia was Ezra. How she could sit in his class every day, stare at him with her big beady eyes, and know she was keeping something this big from him was a mystery to her. She did really want to tell him, but she knew if she did, her time would be limited with him. He didn't have to know that.

"So, can anyone remember what we talked about on the very last day of class in May?" Ezra asked his class on the first day back of school.

"Mr Fitz, I can't even remember what I had for breakfast." Noel Kahn said smartly from the back row. It was his first day back since he got suspended in February, and his face was not one Ezra was happy to see.

"Very funny, Mr. Kahn." Ezra muttered under his breath, while rolling his blue-y, green-y eyes up to the heavens.

Sitting in front of Noel was Aria, who today, was not being her usual chirpy self. She sat in her single person desk, twiddling her pen and shaking her leg uncontrollably. Ezra did notice that Aria wasn't on form, but of course, he couldn't say anything directly to her without the whole class thinking he was showing favouritism. Even though Ezra had tried to not to make it obvious that Aria clearly was his favourite, everyone, apart from Aria, Spencer, Emily and Hanna had began to believe that Aria was the teacher's pet.

"Aria, can you remember what we talked about?" Ezra quizzed her, but he was really just trying to see what was wrong with her.

"Uh, what? Sorry I didn't hear you Mr. Fitz!" She replied, clearly concentrating on something else.

"I asked if you remembered what the last thing we discussed in class last year was."

"Oh." She began to think while all eyes in the room were suddenly focused on her. Inside, she felt that something was not right. She suddenly was experiencing extreme light headedness. Nausea came next, and she knew she had to get out of the classroom before she puked on Hanna, who sat in front of her.

"Aria? Are you okay?" Ezra felt it was now imperative to ask her if she was alright. It wasn't only him that was now worried about her; it seemed the whole class were wondering what was wrong.

"I've got-." Aria couldn't get the whole sentence out without having to run out of the classroom. She ran as fast as she could with her hand placed firmly over mouth, and sprinted her way to the girl's bathrooms. On her departure, the senior AP English class were wondering what had just happened.

"Does anyone know if she's alright?" Ezra asked the class, clearly looking for answers. He gazed at Spencer, who looked extremely guilty. She knew this was one of Aria's indicators that something wasn't right with Aria's condition, but she knew Aria didn't want Ezra to know what was going on. She placed her eyes on Emily, and then back on Ezra again.

"Can I go check on her?" Spencer asked. Ezra was hardly going to say no, and as Spencer passed him on her way out of the classroom, he muttered something so only she could hear.

"Make sure she's alright, will you?" Ezra stared into Spencer's eyes. She gave him confirmation that she would be fine by the slight movement of her eyeballs, but with Spencer's knowledge, she knew that Aria being sick couldn't be a good thing.

Spencer made her way to the girl's bathroom, where she could hear the noise of Aria heaving loudly. She entered the cubicle where Aria knelt with her head placed on the ceramic toilet seat, and held her hair back. Aria's wig was so real-like, which made Spencer sometimes forget that Aria was wearing a wig.

"You need to go home." Spencer said to Aria sympathetically. "And you need to get yourself to your doctor right away."

"Wren made an quite impact on you, didn't he?" Aria laughed, while puking again almost two seconds later.

"I'm serious, Aria." Spencer gave Aria a stern look, and Aria knew she was right.

"What did Ezra say?" Aria asked, while getting her phone from her pocket. She knew she had to call her mom.

"Not much. He can't really say anything, but if I had a worry meter on me, he would hit 100 on the scale. You can see it in his eyes that he is extremely concerned about you." Spencer replied.

"I suppose he would be." Aria said, nodding her head. "A real girlfriend would have told him that she was fighting cancer."

"It's not my place to judge, Aria." Spencer told her. "Now come on, we need to call your mom and get you home."

Spencer helped Aria up. Aria was extremely weak, and so holding onto Spencer tightly was a must for her. They walked slowly towards the exit of Rosewood High, with the only thoughts on Aria's mind being that she had to tell Ezra what was wrong with her. She needed to tell him before things got worse.

_**A/N…. Hey! Did you guys like it? Do you want me to continue? This story will be quite sad, but will have a lot of good Ezria moments in it too. Please review and let me know if I should continue or not. If I don't get reviews, it won't be continued. I don't want to upload a story that no one will read. I'll try my best to update regularly, and now that I'm finished my exams, that shouldn't be too hard. School trip to Danger is giving me a major writer's block at the moment, so that will not be continued for awhile. So please review this one! Lots of love, Becky x**_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2:**

The following day, Ezra walked into his classroom to be welcomed by an eager bunch of students sitting in his class. He had a quick glance around the room, taking each person's presence in at face value. Noel Kahn was present once again, but that's not why Ezra looked in the direction of Noel's seat. He was really looking for Aria, whom he hadn't seen or heard from since their strange, yet worrying conversation in class yesterday. Ezra had phoned Aria numerous times as soon as class was over, but she hadn't returned any of his calls. The emotion of confusion took over Ezra's muscular body, and to say he was worried was the understatement of the century. To feel her absence in class again today made his worry turn into slight fear.

After returning to his apartment yesterday evening, Ezra had thought that perhaps he was being a little _too_ worried. Everyone at some stage develops a stomach bug, and he kept telling himself that to put his worry at ease. In the back of his over-working mind, however, he had this strange feeling that something wasn't right. Aria always called him back. She _always _did_. _He couldn't recollect a time where she hadn't, so this of course was particularly strange for Ezra. Aria hadn't even sent him a text, and all these unusual acts were just turning Ezra's worry into fright. He was desperately seeking answers, but the fact that Aria's parents were unaware of their relationship meant he couldn't see her, and this just infuriated Ezra even more. All he could depend on was a text, email or phone call, and until he received one of them, what was going on with Aria would remain an unsolved mystery to him.

Ezra turned to the board and started writing up today's lesson plan. He was barely concentrating on what he was doing, misspelling the words 'option' and 'choice' as he wrote up the so-called agenda for class. Although he was teaching, which was something that could take his mind off anything, it felt as if there was a little man inside his head, standing on his brain and telling him that he should be worried. _Very worried_. He then decided that he had enough, turning around sharply to face his some-what over enthusiastic class.

"Spencer?" Ezra called Spencer loudly, as if she was in trouble. This took her by surprise. It was obvious Spencer was trying to avoid him at all costs.

"Yes, Mr Fitz?" She replied unwillingly. She was, by now used to calling him Ezra, so remembering to call him Mr. Fitz in class was little more than an irritation to her.

"Could I speak to you outside for a moment please?" Ezra gave her a look which indicated he was desperate to talk to her.

"Of course, Mr. Fitz" Spencer nodded in acceptance, the teacher's pet in her making an appearance. She rose from her seat slowly, aware that the whole class were now staring at her. To the class, this was a strange act carried out by Ezra, as he had no obvious reason to talk to Spencer. However to Ezra, he had every motive to talk to her.

Ezra waited until Spencer passed him before making his way out of the classroom. He trailed behind her slowly, his nerves drying up every bit of saliva that he possessed in his perfect sized mouth. He was nervous to hear what was going on with Aria. He had been for the past twenty four hours, and he presumed Spencer was going to tell him immediately what was going on. On one side of his mind, he thought Aria was avoiding him and wanted to break up, but on the other side, he feared something was seriously wrong, he just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Ezra faced Spencer as they both stood about one meter left of the classroom door, making sure the class couldn't see them. He stared into her chocolate eyes, expecting her to just spit whatever it was out, but she didn't. She gawked back into his eyes, realising how crystal clear his blue eyes were and why Aria always raved on about them. But that wasn't important right now, and it wasn't long before Ezra broke the ice.

"Please Spencer; tell me what is going on?" Ezra was now pleading with her. He just wanted answers, and it had never been so difficult to receive them. Spencer looked down awkwardly, knowing she wasn't allowed to say anything to him without Aria's permission. She decided to play the; _I do not know what you're talking about card, _but she knew herself that it wouldn't fool him.

"What do you mean what's going on?" Spencer asked him, pretending to be clueless.

"You were with her yesterday when she threw up. She's been avoiding me. She hasn't answered any of my texts or phone calls, and frankly, I'm worried sick and _need_ answers." Desperate was written all over Ezra's face by now as he emphasised the _need_. He meant no harm. All he wanted was to care for his girlfriend and make sure she was alright like any other boyfriend would, but as much as Spencer wanted to tell him, friendship came first and she had to keep her promise to Aria.

"I'm not in the position to tell you, Ezra." Spencer told him, even though it broke her heart to see him like this.

"Has she told you not to tell me?" Ezra looked heartbroken. His and Aria's relationship was one full of lies and secrets, but it had never occurred that they kept secrets from each other. Spencer didn't answer him, unable to peel her eyes from the dirty school floor.

"She has, hasn't she?" Ezra confided in Spencer for agreement, and with a barely visible nod of the head, Ezra knew Aria had specifically asked for Spencer not to tell him something.

"Look Ezra. You need to her talk to her yourself."

"How can I talk to her myself when she won't answer any of my calls?" Ezra was getting agitated now. He couldn't believe what was happening. He was shocked.

"I wish she'd tell you, but she doesn't want to, and I have to respect that." Spencer told him sympathetically. It was now Ezra's turn to look down to the ground, clearly hurt by what he had just found out. Tears were forming in his eyes, the droplets symbolising Ezra's distraught emotions. Spencer couldn't help but feel bad for Ezra, and it broke her heart to see him like this. She liked Ezra as a boyfriend for Aria. He was more than a perfect boyfriend to her. It was what he strived to be.

"You know what?" Spencer broke the silence while Ezra looked up. "I'll get her to call you. You deserve to know what's going on, and as much as she doesn't want to tell you, she really doesn't have a choice anymore. "Ezra's face lit up ever so slightly.

"Thanks, Spencer. I owe you. Whatever it is, however bad it is, I just want to be there for her. She means everything to me, and I won't let the nature of our relationship stop me from being there for her. I love her." He smiled while Spencer took out her phone from the pocket of her denim skirt. Inside she was screaming; _He is so adorable!.. _But she couldn't make that inside thought an outside one.

"You don't owe me anything, Ezra. She owes you." Spencer smiled, but for all the wrong reasons. She excused herself with Ezra's permission from the conversation, and made her way to the school entrance to call Aria. Ezra then returned to the classroom without Spencer, realising he had been gone for over ten minutes.

Ezra managed to continue on with the lesson while Spencer was still missing from the typical American-styled classroom. He was teaching his students about Romeo and Juliet, one of Ezra's favourite Shakespearian dramas. He allowed himself to escape from the worry that had invaded him over the past twenty four hours for a little more than ten minutes, but that all stopped once his phone beeped. He reluctantly paused the lesson and went to check who the text was from, knowing that he shouldn't be on his phone in class. Ezra slowly took the phone from his jacket pocket, and his face lit up a thousand street lights when he saw the message was from Aria. It read;

_**I talked to Spencer. She's right. You deserve to know and I can't keep this from you any longer. Will you meet me in Philly? At 8 o' Clock tonight? In front of the bell tower? I love you. Aria xo**_

Ezra was delighted she finally contacted him, but a new layer of worry suddenly began to haunt him. Whatever the news was, he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it, but he soon would have to be.

_**A/N… Did you like it? So sorry it's kind of short. Please review and tell me your feedback on the chapter length. I just want to say thank you for the reviews. 19 reviews on one chapter? That's pretty amazing. Next chapter Ezra will hear the news, so make sure you definitely review if you want me to update quicker and see how he takes the news. Thanks so much for your support with this. Reviews make me smile so much! -Becky xo**_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3:**

Aria had been nervously awaiting Ezra's arrival for over an hour now. Ezra wasn't late though, Aria was just extremely early. They had arranged to meet in Philly at 8 o'clock in front of the Bell Tower, but Aria had made her journey early on purpose, so she could give herself time to prepare for what she had to tell Ezra.

Aria sat on the cold wooden bench while dark, heavy clouds began to form in the pitch black sky. Scary thoughts lingered in her mind, and she was sorry she hadn't told Ezra about what was going on sooner. When she had puked in school, she knew it wasn't a good sign, and a visit to the doctor confirmed more than the worst. Her mom had taken her to the hospital as soon as she picked Aria up from school, and when a frightened face from her oncologist was visible to both mother and daughter, Aria knew the news wasn't good.

"It's terminal." The oncologist told Ella and Aria. "The cancer has spread severely from your blood to your bowl and liver." While Ella broke down in tears, Aria sat in a state of shock. It was as if emotions were non-existent to her. She held her gaze, focusing only at her reflection through the double glazed window. She knew this was eventually coming, but she was still frozen.

"I'm really sorry." The doctor awkwardly broke the silence. "I'm baffled as to why this hadn't shown up on the scans." Aria was barely listening. All she could hear were faint cries by her mother, but her mind had made them barely audible. She wasn't sure if she was shocked, or if she knew this was coming, but the only thing playing on her conscience was the fact that she hadn't told Ezra sooner.

"How long do I have left?" Aria asked the oncologist after a few moments of silence. She managed to shake all her emotions away, and it was as if the news she had just heard had actually never been announced.

"Well, that's hard to say.." The doctor told her, but Aria knew he knew exactly how long.

"Tell me how long!" Aria ordered. It was no surprise that she was frustrated, and knowing how long she had left was imperative.

"Judging by your scans, I'd say about six weeks. You'll grow weaker and weaker as time goes on." Ella broke down once again, and this time Aria held her. She embraced her mother, her shoulder drying up the never ending flow of her tears falling from her mother's eyes. It was amazing how strong Aria could be sometimes, and this was one of the many reasons why Ezra loved her. The doctor left the room to give Aria and Ella some well needed alone time.

"Baby!" Ella cried while jumping into Aria's open arms once again. She was speechless.

"Mom." Aria held her mother away from her, Ella focusing on the ground. "We knew this was coming someday. You have to be strong for me." Ella looked up to face her daughter. She knew Aria was right.

"We're going to make this the most special six weeks, Aria. I promise." Her mother told her, this time Aria getting emotional. Ella pulled Aria in for another hug, kissing her forehead while fighting back the tears so longing to fall from her chocolate eyes. Aria's head rested on her mother's shoulders, her mind away somewhere else. All Aria wanted to do was tell Ezra, but she knew it would crush him.

…..

As the big handle moved closer to twelve and the little one closer to eight, Aria prepared for Ezra's arrival. She remained sitting on the cold bench, remembering how right Spencer was about having to tell Ezra. She had six weeks left of the rest her life, and she had to make sure she could spend every special moment with Ezra.

Aria wondered how Ezra would take the news. She wondered if he would be angry for not telling him that she had Leukaemia sooner and walk away, or if would he break down right in front of her like her mother did. She hoped he would understand. She hoped that he could comprehend why she couldn't bring herself to tell him, even though she was so longing to do so. She hoped he would hold her in his arms while she still came to terms with her terminal illness, and tell her it was all going to be okay. But this wasn't some fairytale, and the reality of situation was that things were not going to be okay.

As Aria remained pensive, the arrival of Ezra took her by surprise. He sat down next to her, and when Aria finally noticed him in his grey Canterbury tracksuit bottoms and his American Eagle jumper that she bought him, she knew the time had come. She had to tell Ezra now.

"Aria! I have been so worried." Ezra immediately said after pecking her on the cheek. Aria looked guilty, but allowed the conversation to flow freely until she was in the position to tell him.

"How are you? Sorry I haven't been in touch, I wasn't feeling the best." Aria replied, trying to ease both personas' nerves.

"I noticed." Ezra began. "You didn't think I wasn't worried about you when you ran out of my class about to be sick, did you?"

"Of course you were. You're always worried about me." Aria smiled. She then moved closer to Ezra, placing her head on his shoulder.

"Is everything okay? What do you need to tell me?" Ezra asked while stroking what he believed to be Aria's real hair. Aria had purchased her wig while she lived in Iceland, and her friends couldn't believe how much it resembled real hair.

"Umm.." Aria said, unsure of how to come out and tell him.

"You know you can tell me anything, Aria?" Ezra once again placed a kiss on her face, this time planting it on her forehead. He left his lips on her until she moved her head so her lips met his. They sealed a kiss, until Ezra pulled away. He then looked into her muddy brown eyes, and was tempted to feel her touch again. He could see the pain in her eyes, but all he could do was move closer to her. Ezra then kissed her again, and for a moment it was as if the pressure of her lips against his flooded his body with that indescribable feeling that was seemingly impossible in the frosty September air. He put everything into that kiss; every fear, every moment of torment, and every confusing, frustrating and fantastic emotion she had ever inspired in him. He felt her lips respond to his eagerly, but not as eagerly as he expected. He pulled away once again, this time refusing the temptation to lean in for the third time.

"Aria, you need to tell me the truth." Ezra told her as crystal clear tears began to fill Aria's eyes. It was like her world was ending now. Once she told him, the timer began.

"Promise me something?" Aria asked while taking his hands in hers.

"Anything." Ezra replied, squeezing her fingers tightly.

"Promise me that when I tell you this.." Aria was struggling to get the words out. She took a deep, shaky breath and started again. "Promise me that when I tell you this, you'll look at me the same way you did two minutes ago." Ezra looked worried, but he nodded in agreement. Nothing she would tell him could change his feelings for her.

"I have Leukaemia." Aria told him gently. Ezra's face didn't move. "I have Leukaemia and it's terminal."

Ezra remained still. He was like a statue, a statue that if touched, would shatter in two seconds. He was fragile. The saliva in his mouth dried up and he could no longer feel the cold breeze he could feel two minutes ago. He was unsure about how to react, but finally regained his ability to breathe after a long twenty seconds.

Aria awaited his response, knowing that she had to give him the time he needed to take everything in. Her eyes filled up with new tears, and she didn't even bother to wipe them as they fell down her pale face. She too was fragile.

"I love you." Ezra blurted out. "You don't know how much I love you." Ezra pulled Aria into his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder, forgetting that they were on a public street in Philadelphia. All she could do was snuggle into him, it was the only thing that felt right in this moment.

"How long have you have had Leukaemia?" Ezra asked her while allowing her tiny head to rest on his shoulder.

"I was diagnosed while I lived in Iceland. I found out it's terminal yesterday."

"And that's why you were throwing up?" Ezra's breath was still shaky. He still couldn't come to terms with what she was telling him.

"Yep." She sighed. "I have been told I'll have about six weeks." Ezra finally cracked, but he managed to keep his distraught emotions intact. He couldn't let Aria see him fall apart, no matter how much he wanted to just lie on the ground, freeze time and pretend this wasn't real life. Six weeks wasn't a lot of time, but he was going to make sure that every second spent with her was special.

"I'll be with you, Aria. Every single step of the way." Aria smiled while removing herself from the bench.

"I better go." Aria regretfully said. "I have to get home. My mom's more protective of me now than ever before."

"I'm coming with you." Ezra told her while he stood up. He took her hand slowly and intertwined her fingers in his. "I'm coming with you."

"But my mom—" Aria began, but Ezra cut her off.

"I don't care. I don't care if I lose my job, Aria. I don't care if everyone looks down on me for having an inappropriate relationship. We have to tell people about us. It's only right that we do." Aria nodded in agreement while the couple walked hand in hand towards Ezra's car. She knew she didn't want to die without telling her parents about how madly in love she was. Madly in love with a man who'd turned her whole life around.

Ezra opened the car door and Aria climbed into the silver Toyota Avensis. Ezra could already notice that she was becoming weaker, noticing her struggle to get her seatbelt on. As he walked around to the driver's side, he told himself that he had six weeks. Six weeks to make sure Aria could live the best life possible. Six weeks to show her that he would love her for an entirety.

_**A/N.. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I'm begging you, just for this chapter everyone who reads this should review. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I want to know how it made you feel. I feel it's quite sad. I'm really sorry to say that Aria obviously will die in this story. I want to make this heartbreaking, and I will continue the story after Aria dies too. I really hope you're enjoying this, so please let me know what you think. And I made the chapter longer too, in case you didn't notice. Much love, Becky x**_


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4:**

_**A/N… This is rated M towards the end. 31 reviews on my last chapter, I am honoured. Keep them coming if you want more. Please don't read and not review. Reviews inspire me, as cheesy as it sounds. And sorry for the delay with this chapter. X**_

After a long and stressful day, Ezra dressed himself for the night ahead. Ezra wanted to take Aria out for dinner in her favourite, yet extremely expensive vegan restaurant, but Aria had refused the offer and suggested the idea of having dinner in Ezra's apartment. At first, Ezra couldn't comprehend why Aria had declined his dinner invitation, which was on his behalf of course, but then again he could understand where she was coming from. Aria had always been a no-fuss type of girl, and despite the fact that she was terminally ill, she was still adamant on keeping the attention away from her.

As Ezra buttoned his shirt in front of the mirror, his hands began to shake. His reflection showed a man who was about to lose everything that was important to him in life. The girl he once met in a bar would soon have exited from his life, and the thought of this happening made Ezra's legs lose feeling. In 6 weeks time, Ezra would be standing at Aria's open grave, while her coffin would be slowly lowered down into the ground. Ezra knew he had to refrain from his pensiveness and enjoy the time he had left with her, but that was proving to be extremely difficult knowing that their time together was limited.

As Ezra wiped the falling tears from his crystal clear blue eyes, there was a knock on the door. He quickly pulled himself together; as he forbid himself from letting Aria see him fall apart. Once he had disposed of any evidence that would make Aria believe that this was killing him, he answered the door.

"Hey!" Ezra greeted her with a big, yet fake smile. It was hard to smile with all that was going on in their lives right now. He embraced her tightly, knowing that soon he wouldn't be able to do so anymore.

"Hi." Aria replied, removing herself from the hug and making herself at home. The weakness in her body was becoming even more obvious as the days ticked by.

"How are you after today? Are your parents still a bit shocked?" Ezra asked her, remembering the events that had taken place earlier that day.

After deciding that it was the right thing to do, Aria and Ezra went to the Montgomery house and told Ella and Byron that they were a couple. Ella and Byron's reaction was not expected. Although they were angered and upset by the fact that Aria had been dating her teacher since they got home from Iceland, they didn't show it. They simply smiled and acted like they were happy with the relationship.

"_I'm glad Aria has someone who she can trust." Ella said while Ezra stopped sweating. His nerves were prominently showing until she had spoken those relieving words._

"_So you're not angry?" Aria asked, clearly flabbergasted at how easily they took the news. _

"_Well..." Byron began when Ella sternly looked at him. "It's not every day your daughter tells you that she's dating her English teacher, but you seem like a good guy Ezra." Ezra knew the only thing that made them okay with his relationship with Aria was the fact that she was terminally ill._

"_Do you promise you'll look after her over the next couple of weeks, Ezra?" Ella asked him. He knew he was capable of that. He took Aria's hand in his and squeezed it tightly._

"_I promise." Ezra replied, staring fiercely into Aria's eyes. _

"They seem to be fine with the idea of us as a couple." Aria told him as he led her to her seat.

Ezra wanted to make this dinner special as it was most likely one of the last dinners that they'd share together. He had hired professional chefs to come in and cook for him before Aria got there, and although he was splashing out on cash he didn't have, Aria was worth it. He didn't want her to know that he hadn't cooked the meal himself because he knew Aria would hate the fuss, but he was afraid he would poison her with his own cooking.

As the couple started eating the Spaghetti Carbonara, they became engaged in deep conversation.

"So…" Ezra began. "Is there anywhere you'd like to visit over the next week or two?"

"Oh, definitely." Aria laughed. "New York, Paris, Milan, Dublin, London, Singapore, Sydney and Cape Hope." Aria laughed thinking that she would never get to see these places, but Ezra had a different idea.

"Well, I can't say that we'll get to visit them all in so little time, but if you had to pick one of those places, which would you chose?" Ezra wished he could take Aria to everywhere that she wanted to go, but in 2 or 3 weeks, Aria would be so weak that she would be bed bound, so time was definitely an issue.

"Ezra…" Aria began, smiling softly. "You can't afford to take me to any of those places. You can't even afford to buy yourself an apartment that has walls to separate the bedroom and the kitchen. That's very kind of you, though."

"I never said we were going, I just asked you which would you chose." Ezra knew that he couldn't afford to take her abroad in so little time, but he would do all he could to make sure Aria enjoyed her last few weeks.

"Well, if we're fantasising, my favourite place to visit would actually be Venice." Aria relaxed as she thought of her and Ezra in Venice. She imagined them on a gondola under the clear night's sky, the Gondola man singing to them in a language they couldn't understand. "If I had more time, that would be one of the first things I'd do with you." Ezra tensed up as he heard those words. He hated the constant reminder that his time was limited with Aria.

"Aria, I could take you there for a weekend. I know you hate people spending money on you, and people fussing over you, but you have to understand that you won't get this chance again." Ezra said softly. Aria knew he was right. "I can see how much you want to go there."

"I can't ask you to take me to Venice, Ezra. You don't have the money." Aria replied, but it was clear in her eyes how much she wanted to go to the city on built on water.

"You're not asking me, I'm asking you. I'll get the money from somewhere." Ezra knew he could ask his mother for a favour. She was fairly comfortable with her money, and once his mother knew the circumstances, she would have no trouble lending Ezra some money.

"Are you asking me to go to Venice with you, Ezra?" Aria tried to put things in hindsight.

"Yes. I am asking you to go to Venice with me. This weekend." Ezra nodded. Aria's face lit up with a smile, and nothing else could make Ezra feel so happy in that moment. "So will you come?"

Aria was pretending to be thinking, but she already knew her answer.

"Yes. Yes I'll go to Venice with you." Aria stood up as Ezra ran around to her side of the dinner table. He gently picked her up and brought her over to the couch where they began to cuddle. He wrapped his muscular arms around her and they began to place soft kisses on each other's lips.

"Ezra?" Aria called as she removed herself from his arms.

"Yes?" Ezra replied.

"What's the one thing that can assure someone that you really do love them?" Aria asked him while Ezra stared back at her, clearly confused. Aria looked passionate in this moment, her eyes looking bigger than ever. Ezra couldn't believe how beautiful she was.

"I have no idea. But you don't need to remind me that you love me, I already know." Ezra knew where this was going now.

Aria began to kiss Ezra passionately. Suddenly, her body released all the energy that had been trapped for so long, and it was as if Aria wasn't sick anymore. Ezra stroked her cheek, remembering to be gentle every step of the way. Aria was surprised when Ezra slowly started to move his lips on to hers, as she had been doing all the work up until now. Their lips moved in time with each other and Ezra raised his left hand up to Aria's hair. He knotted his fingers in it, and he couldn't believe how life like her wig was. He pulled his other hand down to her face and cupped her cheek in his hand. Aria lifted up his shirt and slowly started to run her hands up and down Ezra's impressive body.

"Aria stop! You don't need to do this to prove that you love me. You're too weak." Ezra was worried this was too much for Aria. She was fragile, and he was afraid her weak body couldn't handle what she wanted to happen.

"I know. But I'm ready Ezra. We may not get another chance." Ezra could see how important this was to her as he carefully examined her hazel eyes. If she was really sure about this, then he would do all he could to make it special for her.

Aria moved from his lips to his neck thrusting her onto his thighs. Ezra placed his hands on Aria's lower back, slipping one hand down the back of her skirt. Aria was in a total daze, and all she cared about was how right this felt.

"I Love You" Ezra whispered through the intense kissing and touching. "Not having you here is going to be the hardest thing I will ever have to deal with." Aria looked at him passionately, finally seeing how hard this was for him.

"No matter what happens, Ezra, you know I'll always be with you." Aria replied, trying so hard to control the waterfall of tears that were so longing to fall from her eyes.

Ezra carefully removed her blouse and Aria then pressed her chest against his, slowly running her hand over his crotch. Ezra started kissing Aria's jaw line as he remembered to be gentle, leaning over her as he did so. He manoeuvred from her neck, down to her collar, and then began kissing her chest. He touched her body so gently yet so passionately, and Aria smiled when Ezra gently placed chaste kisses on her stomach. He unzipped her skirt and pulled it off slowly. As he ran his hands down her curvaceous body, he took a deep glance into her hazel eyes and knew that he loved her more than anything. Slowly, they removed the remainder of each other's clothing, until all that separated them was her excited breathing blowing gently on his chest.

The moment was perfect for Aria, and she had never felt as happy she did now. Getting to share something so special with the one she loved was all she needed right now. She was now satisfied, and whatever else was to come was just a bonus.

_**A/N… Hey! What did you think? I love writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do. Please review. Even if you've no account, just review and tell me what you thought. Feedback is always important. I am so honoured by the feedback to this story. I never expected 65 reviews on 3 chapters alone! Keep'em coming peopleeeee! Much love, Becky x**_


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5:**

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After a busy week of borrowing money, finding package deals and making bookings online, Aria and Ezra finally found themselves in Venice, Italy. It had always been Aria's dream to visit this city built on water, but after hearing that her illness was now terminal, she thought she'd never get there.

Ezra had pulled a few strings to afford this weekend getaway, one of those strings meaning he had to unwillingly borrow money from his mother. His mother Dianne Fitzgerald was never fond of Aria, not since she found out how they had met. Even though Ezra lied to his mother and told her he didn't start dating Aria until after he left Rosewood High, his mother also managed to pull a few strings and dig deep on the couple. She ended up finding out the truth about their relationship, which left an everlasting feeling of hate towards the couple. That lasted until she discovered that Aria was terminally ill, which meant she couldn't help but feel sorry for both Aria and Ezra, and so she generously supplied Ezra with more than enough cash to make sure Aria had a perfect weekend.

Ezra also had to beg for Aria's parents to let her go to Italy. They had said no a million times, but when Ezra would not stop asking, they finally realised how much he cared about her, and decided that if Aria was to enjoy her last few weeks, it was to be with Ezra in Venice.

The spontaneous trip to the city of romance meant that Ezra didn't have a lot of time to think some issues through, issues such as which activities he could organise for Aria and how much rest she would need, always having to remember the fact that Aria's fragile body wouldn't be able for much. The first obstacle which they encountered however was the extremely long plane ride to Venice. Ezra was not expecting Aria to feel so tired after it, but the slow movement in her body was highlighting just how weak Aria really was. Ezra almost wished Aria hadn't chosen Venice as the city she wanted to visit; a city built on water, with no cars and a hell of a lot to see meant that the couple would be using their feet a lot, and Ezra knew this would just break Aria.

"You are exhausted, Aria." Ezra said to his significant other as they queued up at passport control in L'aeroporto di Venezia. It was now 8:09pm local time, and although Ezra was extremely exhausted from all the travelling, his main concern was Aria and that she could make the most out of this trip.

"I am exhausted." Aria replied, lacking any sort of tone in her voice. Ezra stared into her hazel eyes, searching for that raw emotion that he knew was somewhere to be found her tiny little body. The longer he stared, the quicker Aria's eyes filled with tear drops, and it wasn't long until tears fell from Aria's almond-shaped eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ezra said gently, although he knew exactly what was wrong with his girlfriend. Aria only had an estimated 5 weeks left until her body would forfeit the battle that she had been fighting for so long, and this was extremely difficult for Aria to deal with. She was been being so mature about it, but a human being can only pretend for so long.

"I am just going to be honest, Ezra; my body will not be able to keep up with yours throughout this weekend. What's the point of us being here? What's the point when all I'll be doing is sleeping and all you'll be doing is sitting in a hotel room watching Italian soap operas that you won't be able to understand? You've wasted - or should I say your mom has wasted an enormous amount of money because I won't be able to embrace anything this city has to offer." Aria was hysterical by the time she was finished speaking, and the other people in the queue were beginning to notice the young girl in hysterics.

"Aria, listen to me." Ezra began, putting his right hand on Aria's right cheek. Aria was ice cold. Ezra's clammy hand against Aria's freezing body just reminded him how sick she really was. Ezra cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Remind me what you told me about Venice when you suggested this city. Tell me what you wanted to do most?"

"I wanted to ride in a Gondola!" Aria confessed. "But to be honest Ezra, even walking to the Gondola man and climbing into the boat will be strenuous for me." The couple were now through customs and just about to exit the airport. The airport was extremely close to the heart of Venice, and an impulse thought from Ezra meant that Aria would have to wait a little long till she could sleep tonight.

Ezra told Aria to remain put while he took their luggage and asked airport authorities to keep it safe for them until they got back. Although it was against the airport's policy to hold bags for passengers, they agreed to mind the luggage when Ezra explained their situation. Ezra then slowly made his way back to Aria, peeking up on her really slowly.

"Boo!" Ezra whispered in Aria's ear. She turned around hesitantly and kissed Ezra very haltingly.

"Where's our luggage?" Aria asked Ezra, clearly curious to see what he was up to.

"I've taken care of that." Ezra told her. "Now, I'm going to lift you very slowly onto my shoulders, and you're going to shut your eyes until I tell you to open them." Ezra was delighted to have thought of such a brilliant plan.

"I am not getting on your shoulders, Mr. Fitz. I'll be able to make it to the hotel on foot I'm sure."

"Who said anything about going to the hotel?" Ezra asked while gently picking Aria up and putting her on his shoulders. "Now close your eyes."

Aria did as she was told and kept her eyelids shut. Ezra could barely feel her delicate body sitting on his shoulders, and as he pondered the streets of Venice looking for a gondola man, he almost forgot that he had an actual person sitting on him. Aria's weight really put her illness into perspective for Ezra, always reminding him of how little time she had left.

For 9pm at night, the weather was pretty warm in Venice. The temperature read 21 degrees Celsius and there wasn't the slightest bit of wind in the air. The night was perfect. The only noises to be heard were the laughs of happy tourists and the incomprehensible Italian songs of the gondola men. Ezra was on a mission to find a free gondola on this busy night, and finally, his mission was met.

"Quanto costo?" Ezra asked the man, speaking the only bit of Italian he knew.

"Don't worry, I speak English." The Gondola man replied as Ezra lifted Aria down off his shoulders. Aria's eyes were open now.

"Hey!" Ezra exclaimed at the realisation that Aria's eyes were open. "I told you not to open your eyes yet."

"You can't expect to me stay quiet while you talk gibberish to some strange man." Ezra could see a little bit of happiness in her eyes as she noticed where she was, and this made him more happy than she could ever be.

"How about you hop onto the gondola while I haggle with the man?" Ezra suggested, struggling to wipe the enormous grin off his face. Aria complied, and began to gently make her way onto the little boat. Ezra walked over to the man who was soon to be singing them love songs as they voyaged through the Venice waters.

"I am so glad you speak English because this is really important." Ezra whispered to the Italian man. "My girlfriend has terminal cancer, and she is at the final stage of her illness. I've literally just decided this, but I think I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"You think?" The Italian man responded in a Venetian accent. His English was surprisingly good.

"It is definite." Ezra said. He had never been more sure of anything in his entire life. "If I don't ask her now, I may never get another chance. I couldn't go on with life knowing that I hadn't got the opportunity to marry the person I love."

As Ezra spoke to the Gondola man, Aria was still struggling to get into the boat. If she was fully healthy, she would be nagging Ezra to hurry up and decide on a price by now, but because she was so weak and fragile, even climbing into a boat was proving difficult. Aria really didn't want to ask for help, but there was no way she was going to ever get on the gondola if she didn't ask Ezra to give her a hand.

"Ezra?" Aria called shakily while taking a step back from the boat. As her foot searched for the surface, her balance failed her, finding herself hopelessly trying not to fall into the water.

"Yes?" Ezra replied, looking over in Aria's direction only to see the end of what had been a huge splash. Ezra froze for about two seconds. Two seconds which in that moment felt like two hours. She then popped up to the surface of the water, and Ezra wasn't sure if she was dead or alive. All he knew was that his state of shock had taken over his body, and his brain failed to carry out the actions his body were so longing to perform. The Gondola man had already made his way over to the young girl.

"Call an ambulance!" He ordered. Ezra took out his iPhone and dialled 999, fearing the worst.

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_**A/N… I AM SO SO SO SO SORRY! I have been so busy lately and haven't had a spare minute to write a chapter in months. I got a job, started college and I'm learning 3 different languages so it's pretty stressful right now. **_

_**I am so thankful for all your reviews, and I hope that the ones who have been me on story favourite will continue to review. I will do my best to update soon, but I am making no promises. **_

_**Please tell me what you think! **_

_**Becky - x**_


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